I am reprinting here our newsletter from October of 2004. It records the astounding events of our performance of Heaven Needs Firemen at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood California.

Here it is, as I sent it out on that day, unedited, 4 years later:

I don't know what the promoters were thinking when they asked our puppet troupe to play their rock and roll club in Hollywood. Maybe they thought it would be a laugh to watch the "crazy Christians" and their puppets.

Our attitude was "let them laugh" as long as one single soul was brought to Christ...

By the end of the evening, we had 57 Professions of Faith!

57 souls were saved that night!

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

Please let me share this uplifting story with you. I had better start at the beginning...

I was a little surprised when we received the phone call. I had never heard of The Key Club, but I was told it was located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, right next to all the rock and roll clubs with names like The Roxy and The Whiskey.

I was even more surprised when they sent us the flyer for the event. It was called "Puppet Terror". Apparently we would be sharing the bill with a heavy metal band and someone calling herself "Miss Satanica."

In Puppet2Puppet's 12 years of puppet ministry, we have performed in some "far-out" places -- in the terminal wings of hospitals, at an inner-city park recreation center for At-Risk kids, even in a Juvenile Detention facility. But this was a first! I prayed that night and the answer was clear. "Have Puppets, Will Travel" has always been our motto, and nothing was going to change that.

The night of the show, as I waited backstage, I must admit that I was nervous. The load-in had gone smoothly, but there had been some snickers and knowing looks from the heavy metal band during our soundcheck. I knew by now that this club had once been called Gazarri's and that bands like The Doors and Van Halen had started out here. I swear I could almost smell the years of sin.

Our puppeteers were tucked away behind our puppet stage, waiting for me to introduce them and the curtains to open. I heard the announcer call my name and I walked into the lights.

I looked out and 500 rowdy strangers looked back! The crowd seemed to me a sea of black clothing and tattoos. I felt out-of-place in my sweater vest and carrying my bible. I took some comfort knowing that 30 of our people were out there, good Christians who had braved the traffic and the rock and rollers -- people from churches as far away as Orange County and Riverside. A group of young adults from our church even joined me on-stage, to lend moral support...and to get a front row seat, I'm sure!

The rest was a blur. I said something into the microphone about our ministry and the Lord's work. And then I introduced the play.

I must say I was proud of our puppeteers that evening! We performed "Heaven Needs Firemen", one of our most popular and effective puppet plays. The timing and puppetry were impeccable. The club's crew had done a great job, real professionals! We had 7 microphones inside our puppet stage, one for each puppeteer! The lighting was very dramatic -- especially when the firemen appeared in Heaven to fight back Satan and the flames of Hell. Our "fire-hose" worked great, even if our puppeteer did get a little over-eager -- I'm afraid a good many people in the front row got more than a little wet!

We had added a special ending just for the occasion. Our Jesus puppet appeared in our Heaven set to thank the Firemen and welcome them to their eternal reward. He then asked the audience if they were ready to meet their Maker.

The show ended, I mumbled some thanks and a "God Bless" and walked backstage.

That's when the real Miracles began!

Backstage, a crew-member from the club approached me. Voice trembling, he asked me if I would pray with him. My answer was a hearty "Yes!"

But the real surprise happened when I made it out front of the club. I couldn't believe me eyes! There was what seemed like half the audience! They were surrounding our friends from church, some gathered in groups, some talking one-on-one with one of our people.

As the heavy metal music blared from inside, they began to pray. They knelt, right there on the sidewalk! Right there on the Sunset Strip!

By the end of the evening, we had received 57 Professions of Faith! I personally witnessed to a couple with matching devil-head tattoos on their necks and rings through every part of their bodies. Watching their joy as the Lord enter their hearts will be a memory I will cherish forever.

Thank you for letting me share this story. All of us involved in Puppet Ministry know that I can be a sometimes tiring and sometimes thankless task. But the real joy is not in the souls we reach, but in the act of celebrating the love of our Lord!

Please feel free to share this with other Christians who could use a boost!

"Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!" Psalms 66, 1.